Tag Archives: Il Fornaio

Well, it’s back to reality after our recent trip to Las Vegas. The town is definitely a little different with Baby Sip in tow, but we still managed to have an amazing time. Here is part one of our experiences from the strip and beyond:

Mrs. Sip was already in the city, having left a few days before me for a girl’s trip. That meant I was flying solo with Baby Sip for the first time and while she was pretty well-behaved on the flight, it was still an exhausting experience. When I arrived, I was in desperate need of a drink and Mrs. Sip must have read my mind. As we met up, she had a bottle of Victory Brewing Golden Monkey Belgian Tripel in hand for me. At least I had a limited edition New York Cheesecake Kit Kat Chunky to surprise her with, in return.

Next up was grabbing a walking beer, which I enjoyed as we dined at Il Fornaio within New York New York. Following dinner, we visited The Chocolate Bar for some dessert cocktails. I selected the Hershey’s Chocolate Caramel Martini, while Mrs. Sip chose the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Martini. Both drinks were pure decadence and very boozy. We were feeling pretty buzzed after these beverages, but the night wasn’t over yet.

One girl from our group had money to be used at Nine Fine Irishmen, so she ordered as many drinks as would cover the credit. From this collection, I picked out a pint of Blue Moon, which I then enjoyed while watching the dueling pianos show from outside the Bar at Times Square. A fine way to end my and Baby Sip’s first day in Sin City.

As the girls went off to enjoy their last night together, I took Baby Sip back to our room, stopping for a road beer along the way. I didn’t get to immediately enjoy my New Belgium Brewing Dayblazer Easygoing Ale, thanks to my aforementioned fatigue and Baby Sip needing to be put to bed, so it made for a great first treat the next morning.

The beer was enjoyed as Mrs. Sip and I went to ride the High Roller in one of their Happy Half Hour (Open Bar in the Sky) cabins. Mrs. Sip’s girl group had done this a few days earlier, but one of their crew chose not to use her ticket. That ticket was then given to me, with Mrs. Sip picking up another one for herself through Expedia for $35. This made our experience very reasonable when split between the two of us.

As for the ride itself, it was a lot of fun. Our bartender was very personable, although with the constant drinking and chatting, I had to remind myself to take in the view, as well. Mrs. Sip had consumed five drinks during her first ride, so my goal was to top her personal best and I did so with six beverages. These were all simple mixes, such as rum and cola and gin and lemon-lime soda, but we were also allowed one shot each, with the bartender serving up a round of tequila-Chambord shooters. Wine and beer was also available onboard, as well as a variety of sodas and juices, covering all the bases. Riders were allowed to leave with one drink at the end of the revolution.

As if we hadn’t drank enough already, we rejoined the girls – who were looking after Baby Sip because she wasn’t allowed to ride with us – and popped into the Fuel Bar, home to amazing flair bartenders and boozy 2-for-1 cocktails. Unfortunately, on this occasion, the place was packed with a bunch of guys smoking in the small space. As I waited outside with Baby Sip, the girls grabbed drinks, with Mrs. Sip selecting a pair of Mai Tais for us. The rest of the afternoon was spent riding the wave of our buzzes, while I added to mine with a pint of Founder’s Brewing All Day IPA Session Ale, as well as working on a bottle of New Amsterdam Vodka the girls hadn’t finished, implementing a variety of mixers.

For dinner that night, we visited Mon Ami Gabi, figuring we’d be able to get a fancier meal in while Baby Sip napped in her stroller. No such luck, as she has a habit of waking up as we’re about to eat. Luckily, we had a very helpful and understanding server, as well as restaurant manager. We split the restaurant’s Chilled Seafood Platter (lobster, jumbo shrimp, oysters, and salmon), paired with a bottle Vidal-Fleury Viognier. The meal wasn’t cheap, but it was nice to treat ourselves on this special occasion of Mrs. Sip being able to have the platter again, which she couldn’t do when we last visited Vegas while she was pregnant.

To prove we here at The Sip Advisor are not all about getting hammered, we spent our third day travelling to the Valley of Fire State Park (via rental car) to do the scenic drive the area is famous for. We weren’t able to do any of the small hikes, as Baby Sip fell asleep and we didn’t want to disturb her, but the sights were amazing and the drive was a nice break away from the strip. Part two of our travels will look at St. Patrick’s Day spent in Las Vegas among other shenanigans!